PGA, PGA Tour plead for anchor 'grandfather period'

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PGA of America president Ted Bishop and PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem made one final appeal to the U.S. Golf Association last weekend to consider a “grandfather period” that would allow recreational amateurs to continue using anchored clubs after 2016.

Bishop and Finchem addressed the USGA’s executive committee at the association’s annual meeting in Pinehurst, N.C., on Saturday, and he said the presentation lasted about 30 minutes.

“We were trying to humanize the request for the grandfather period. This was a continuation of what we asked back in July,” Bishop said. “My understanding is they will take a look at it and get back to us with a response.”

Bishop, who was scheduled to fly to Sochi on Monday to attend the Olympics, said USGA officials didn’t give him a timeline on when they would respond to his request.

“Personally I feel better. I feel we gave it the best shot we could give it,” Bishop said. “We tried to convey a compelling reason why this doesn’t do any harm to the game going forward.”

Bishop also said he didn’t get a “read” on how the executive committee may proceed with the request to give recreational amateurs a little longer to make the transition away from anchoring.

The ban on anchoring, Rule 14-1b, will go into effect in January 2016.